Renovation considerations: what to think about before renovating a bathroom

When you’re looking to renovate a pre-existing bathroom, you’re highly advised to call on experienced and well-respected specialists in that arena – professional bathroom designer and installation companies. That way, you’ll avoid many headaches and not fall into the trap of employing and relying on lesser contractors who either don’t really know what they’re doing or think little of the care and quality needed to do the job properly.

That said, they’ll still be mental and emotional work to throw yourself into; like it or not. Because it’s down to you to decide on the fundamentals – the new look, the total cost and the overall level of functionality and storage capacity. The trick to get through it all successfully and unscathed? Keep your eyes on the prize throughout the process; have a clear vision from the start and stick to it. Here, in more detail, is how we advise you approach a bathroom renovation…

What should the end result actually be?

Yes, you’re looking to change your bathroom, remove pieces, replace them with new ones and give the whole thing a shake-up and different look and feel. But beyond this, what are you really trying to do? Because the reality is you probably, literally can’t afford to get it wrong – what happens if you spend a big chunk of your time and energy and you’re a proportion of your savings on a luxury bathrooms suite that, in the end, you realise is all wrong?

So then, before you start, you need to seriously consider what you want – and need – the end result to be. At this point, don’t complicate matters over expenditure and space restrictions, just focus on the finished room and a visual image. Who’s this designer bathrooms London suite going to be for – just yourself, you and your partner or a whole family? How often then will it be used – in the morning, during the day or at night? And everyday? Do you want an easy-to-clean room that’s simple to look after? What then should it include? Do you want to ‘update’ the look more for potential resale than for yourself? And what sort of feel, look and style should it feature?

Factors to consider

So, once you’ve established the reasons for the renovation, what do you need next to focus on? What are the burning issues you need to deal with? Well, perhaps you ought to consider the following:

Updating the appearance – should you remain satisfied with the general look and layout of your bathroom, then it’s likely you’re after more of a ‘refresher’ than anything else. In which case, it becomes about dealing with material selection (cabinetry and plumbing fixtures and the like).

Renovating for resale – if it’s an update for resale (or, rather, to help achieve ‘upsale’) you want; the focus is, like it or not, going to be on trying to deliver what potential buyers are going to respond positively to. Sure, this may be hard to decide on as it’s difficult to anticipate what another individual will genuinely like or dislike, but research can be a big help (or talking with experts like us at Kallums Bathrooms) to get an idea of trends and looks that are popular.

Storage and functionality – Had enough of stacking toilet rolls on top of the cistern, or having nowhere to put your shampoo, conditioner, soaps and make-up so they’re out of the way? And what about those swing-doors that collide with the vanity unit unless guests are careful when opening them? Or could you save on space by removing the bath you never, replacing it with a shower on its own?

Be aware that fulfilling such changes will result in significant remodeling, nay gutting of space and the potential rerouting of water pipes. It’ll take more planning, require a longer installation time and cost more. Are you up for it? If so, your dream bathroom awaits with the right supplier!